


she who grasps the strings

by SaraJaye



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Behind the Scenes, Canonical Character Death, Determined Edelgard von Hresvelg, F/M, Fire Emblem: Three Houses Black Eagles Route Spoilers, Forced to work with the enemy, Frustration, Holding Hands, Murderous Intentions, POV First Person, Post-The Cause of Sorrow, Pre-Relationship, Present Tense, Spoilers for Pre-Timeskip | Academy Phase (Fire Emblem: Three Houses), Worried Hubert von Vestra
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-02
Updated: 2020-10-02
Packaged: 2021-03-08 04:27:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 983
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26779597
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SaraJaye/pseuds/SaraJaye
Summary: Lady Edelgard's iron core and willingness to do whatever it takes to accomplish her goals is admirable, one of the traits I value most in her, but there are times when she's clearly suffering from having to be near them and I wonder if perhaps we should consider another course of action.Hubert's thought process following a tragedy.
Relationships: Edelgard von Hresvelg/Hubert von Vestra
Comments: 1
Kudos: 19





	she who grasps the strings

This had not been part of the plan.

To me, Sir Jeralt was just another presence at Garreg Mach. I held no contempt for the man, nor did I have any fondness for him. But he was someone very dear to our professor, someone I have slowly come to tolerate as they gain Lady Edelgard's trust and respect.

She's beside herself with anger. Just like the nasty business in Remire, those who slither in the dark have slithered out of our grasp and committed an atrocity we otherwise would not have allowed. Damn fools. Lady Edelgard insists we allow them to think they're controlling her, and it sickens me. A strong, capable, intelligent woman like her letting _filth_ believe she's dancing upon their strings.

"Lady Edelgard." She's facing away from me, her shoulders tight, fists clenched, her breathing slow and harsh.

I should have snapped that annoying little girl's neck the moment she attached herself to Lady Edelgard like a leech, or perhaps before Solon and the Death Knight could leave her in the dungeons. She's never contributed a damn thing to anyone's plans, and Thales refuses to explain why she's still alive.

"Lady Edelgard?" I tentatively place a hand on her shoulder; she jerks away, shaking her head.

"Not now." Her tone is only half as sharp as her words. "I need a moment alone, Hubert."

I should not be disappointed. I have never been good at giving comfort, even to her, and at the moment I've no idea how we're going to wrest control back from those who slither. Undermining their agenda takes careful planning given what they're capable of. But she's more than angry this time. The barely-visible slump of her shoulders, the ambient guilt surrounding her, the near-desperate tone of her voice.

Our professor has come to mean so much to her, and while Lady Edelgard has never been one to weep for another's plight, she is no stranger to the pain of loss herself.

 _And yet you are willing to work alongside those responsible for those losses._ Lady Edelgard's iron core and willingness to do whatever it takes to accomplish her goals is admirable, one of the traits I value most in her, but there are times when she's clearly suffering from having to be near them and I wonder if perhaps we should consider another course of action.

"Perhaps it's time to let the Flame Emperor die," I suggest quietly. "To walk away from-"

"No." She whirls around, her eyes narrow. "Absolutely not."

"But-"

"The Agarthans are a valuable tool, Hubert, and one does not stop using a tool because of a few minor setbacks," she says. "Instead, they perform maintenance on that tool and remind it of its place."

"Of course, Lady Edelgard, I couldn't agree more on that front. And yet..." I'm being overprotective, she's called me on that too many times to count. "You suffer. Because they slipped from your grasp and mobilized their own agenda, hurt those you didn't want hurt, and have now killed someone important."

"And if we left based on _that,_ they'd see it as a weakness," she answers quickly. "They're just waiting for me to slip up and show even the slightest ounce of regret or vulnerability, and claim it as a victory." Many would call her selfish for such thinking, but I understand all too well. Those who slither in the dark broke her once, reduced her to a frightened little girl whimpering amidst corpses.

It's hard, being of two minds on this. I admire her strength, the way anyone who would dare mistake her for a soft, sheltered princess would find themselves on the wrong end of her axe before they could blink. She believes in a world where individuals are judged on their own merits, and my greatest wish is to see her rule such a world.

But I know the girl underneath. A human being with emotions, regrets, suffocating the pain of her losses for the sake of creating her ideal world. And I wish she would allow me to handle the dirty work and bloodshed so she could feel free to _be_ that human being.

She won't let me, though. And as much as I want to be her rock, her anchor, I want her to accomplish her goals even more.

"We cannot turn back the clock, Lady Edelgard. Our professor grieves, and we alone know who murdered Jeralt. What should we do?"

"We keep a close watch on the girl and Solon," she says. "We allow the knights to continue their search and believe they are the ones to find them. Then, we tell the professor immediately. She'll lead us right to the girl and then we can properly dispose of her."

"And what of Thales's plans for her?" I ask. She gives me the barest hint of a smirk.

"Irrelevant. He must be reminded of his place." I almost smile.

"I couldn't agree more." She seems less tense, her shoulders a bit more relaxed and the look of frustration fading from her eyes. "We should return to the monastery before someone discovers us." Hardly anyone comes to the outskirts this late at night, but one can never be too careful.

"Right."

Before we leave, though, she places a hand on my forearm and turns to me with a small smile.

"Thank you, Hubert. I know I don't say it enough, but-"

"There is no need." The look on her face says it all, and a simple touch of her hand fills me with more warmth than a thousand passionate clinging embraces could. "I am here for you, Lady Edelgard, always."

We walk back to the monastery grounds in silence, our gloved palms barely touching one another. After a moment, she wraps her fingers around my hand.

After another moment, I rest my thumb against her knuckles, and she smiles a little more.


End file.
